In the past, games about movies or other subject matter that can be visually and/or auditorially displayed, such as video-recorded sports events, have involved asking a player or group of players questions concerning the movie or other video subject matter without any direct viewing of a video clip of the movie or other video subject matter. Past games involving visually displayable subject matter, e.g., movies, sporting events, news events, were not as enjoyable as they could have been because they failed to incorporate visual images of the subject matter, i.e., video clips, in an acceptable manner. While previous movie games could have employed DVD players, and/or video cassette players, to play video clips during a game, they would have had to play the clips in a sequential, hence predictable, manner. While playing such a game for the first time presents new questions, repeated play becomes predictable and eliminates the enjoyment and surprise that should accompany a good game (or educational, training, or promotional tool).
DVD players have an advantage over video cassette players in that DVD players can quickly and accurately access specific segments of data anywhere on the medium. However, due to the limited programmable abilities of DVD players, it has been generally assumed that DVD players are incapable of randomly shuffling through a large number of video and/or sound clips stored on a DVD disc without repeating a clip. For purposes of the present invention, shuffling video and/or sound clips involves mixing the order of the clips such that individual clips apparently are randomly selected and played, without repeating a clip until all clips of a set of clips have been selected. Clearly, random shuffling is one of the keys to success in any game involving an element of chance, including those that ask a player a question pertaining to a topic relevant to the game.
There are many obstacles to programming random shuffling into DVD players, especially with large sets of clips and/or multiple sets of clips. DVD players are unlike computers equipped with DVD-ROM players. Computers include programmable CPUs, large storage capacity (both in computer memory and on permanent storage devices, such as DVD discs), and are capable of generating very good random numbers. In contrast, DVD players provide only a limited set of programmable abilities, have minimal storage capacity, and, while all DVD players are required to provide a random number generator ability, many of DVD players' random number generators are incapable of generating usable random numbers. For instance, some random number generators in DVD players give definite “weight” to certain numbers, mostly one. However, even on those DVD players that can generate good random numbers, DVD players only provide a limited number of, usually 16, general registers for storage. Thus, while a DVD player may be able to track which of a few clips have previously been selected, thereby ensuring that all clips are eventually selected without repeats, tracking more clips than the available number of general register (e.g., 16) has been viewed as beyond a DVD player's ability.
While playing a game using a DVD player, a DVD disc, a game board, game cards, and user pieces is very entertaining, substantial entertainment is also derived a less competitive environment, i.e., simply by displaying clips stored on a DVD disc to “players” without actually keeping score or moving user pieces. Simply stated, it is very entertaining to display clips stored on the DVD disc, with their associated puzzles, questions, and answers, to a group of “players” where all such players can simultaneously participate if and when they wish.
The present invention is directed to addressing the need of an entertaining game employing DVD players and DVD disc in a non-competitive manner and without substantial user interaction.